The queue line for the attraction is compromised of synthetic rock work, plant life, and animatronics in addition to sound cues and even screens. The ride’s entrance sign is placed in an arch around the entrance, and you will see both the regular and express lines for the attraction. Upon taking either line, you are greeted with fences that resemble rock formations, with indentations of bird footprints and burrows. Look on the ground to see more. Some of the burrows contain animatronic crabs. The line moves in a zig-zag, then riders enter a cave which leads into the rest of the attraction. Inside the cave, topped with an archaeopteryx skull, there are sloped walls of plexiglass, containing small physical sets with screens behind them. The screens themselves depict seabirds at work and play, crabs scuttling around, and crashing waves. Water will also splash onto the plexiglass tube, covering it in a splash effect. At the end, shortly before the load area, is a sandpiper animatronic, who will give riders a safety spiel about the ride. “Aye, this is a dive coaster! You know what that means? It’s a coaster that also goes underwater! There’s a lot of steep drops and sudden turns! You will most likely get wet! But anyway, keep yer hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the ride vehicle at all times, and ensure that nice lap bar is securely on yer hips, keepin’ yer body in place. Be sure to secure any loose articles into the mesh bags under your seats. Arms? Don’t be silly, under the skin, we have the same general anatomy as you!”
Riders then make it to the loading area, where they can enter their vehicles and hang on tight.
Drop: 200 ft (61 m)
Length: 2,431 ft (741 m)
Speed: 77 mph (124 km/h)
Inversions: 3
Duration: 1:43
Max vertical angle: 90°
Ride vehicles: 3 trains with 3 rows of 8 (24 riders per train)
Capacity: 1,200 riders per hour
The coaster starts with leaving the station and slowly climbing up the lifthill resembling a large cliff. Once at the top, it gives riders a chance to get spectacular views of the city and area around, much like the Mine Train did previously.
From there, guests get held at the top looking straight down into the exhibit below. The train releases and guests drop 200 feet at 90° right below the exhibit.
Here, the coaster hits a straightaway where the trains go through a large glass tube through the middle of the exhibit, just like the Atlantis water slides.
Guests pull out of the exhibit and pull out straight into a cobra roll. This allows the trains to go over the lake it was just under pulling a tight barrel roll close to the water.
From there, the coaster loops does a large upwards helix around a tall rocky spire where keen guests can catch small caves where an animal might've once lived as well as fossils and other markings suggesting prehistoric birds may have dove from this very spot.
By AceAstro
Music by Henry Mystic
As riders exit Dive Birds, they enter a gift shop themed to the nests of various seabirds, as evidenced by the various colorful birdhouses hidden inside the gift shop. The walls are painted a vivid blue like the sea and sky, symbolizing that these are seabirds, however, the overall design of the building is styled like a bird’s nest.
Merchandise sold here, besides the generic Ocean Park merch, consists of items related to seabirds, such as plushes and toys of birds such as puffins, pelicans, auks, seagulls, cormorants, and ducks. There is also specialty seabird themed candy, and (Seabird Coaster) and seabird-related clothing. As part of Ocean Park‘s educational mission statement, you can get various books about seabirds and what you can do to help them.